Riveting machine



May 18, 194-3. Q DE 2,319,748

RIVBTING MACHINE Filed April 1'7, 1940 V 2 Sheets-Sheet l y 1943- A. D. RHODES RIVETING MACHINE Filed April 17, 1940 I 2 Sheets-Sh eet 2 t i in a! Patented May 18, 1943 RIVETING MACHINE Austin D. Rhodes, Waltham, Mass., assignor to Judson L. Thompson Manufacturing Company, Waltham, Mass., a corporation of Massachusetts Application April 1'1, 1940, Serial No. 330,121

7 Claims.

This invention relates to riveting machines and has for an object to facilitate the insertion of rivets into the work prior to the setting operations so that proper setting is assured. Provision is made, in accordance with this invention, therefore, for presenting the rivet into the work while the rivet is projecting from the rivet holder and held against retraction therein. Thereafter the rivet is set.

A further object is to provide for the presentation of the rivet into a hole in the work and then for power setting of the rivet in the work by a single motion of an operator-actuated control member.

Another object is to provide such a control member which will give to the operator a feel" of the rivet presenting motion and the power control motion so thatthe operator may accurately control the operation of the machine.

For a more complete understanding of this invention, reference may be had to the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is afragmentary side elevation of a riveting machine embodying the invention.

Figure 2 is a rear elevation of the same portion of the'machine.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of the rivet-holding jaws spaced apart and showing the configuration of the rivet-receiving groove.

Figures 4, 5 and 6 are fragmentary views at least partly in central vertical section through the rivet-holding jaws and showing successive positions of the jaws, rivet and rivet driver, relativeto each other and to the work during the machine cycle.

Figure 7 is a view similar to a portion of Figure 2, but showing the .parts in clutch-closed position.

Referring to the drawings, at is indicated a U shaped frame member or head carrying at its lower extremity a work support comprising a rivet setting anvil 2 provided with a point 3 arranged to split and turn the forward end of a tubular rivet barrel when the rivet is driven. In alinement with the anvil 2 is mounted a rivet driver 5 vertically reciprocable in a slideway 6. n opposite sides of the'driver and between which the driver moves are rivet-holding jaws 1, each as shown being fixed to the lower end of a bar 8 as by screws 9. These bars 8 are permitted a yielding separating motion to allow the driver 5 to pass therebetween and to eject a rivet therefrom and set it in the work as is well known in the art. This machine is of the general type illustrated in my Patent No. 1,698,922 to which reference may be had for details not shown herein.

The bars 8 are mounted for vertical motion. being connected to a rivet holder slide l0 and they are given such vertical motion by the rocking of a lever H fulcrumed at I2 to the machine frame. The forward end of this lever II is provided with a slot l3 in which rides a pin l4 secured to the slide to. The lower limit of motion of the slide I0 is determined by the engagement of the forward end of the lever H on the upper face I5 of the guide for the bar ID.

Means such as a coil spring l6 secured at one end as at 11 to the machine frame and at the other engaging over a pin l8 projecting from the lever H, normally holds the rivet jaws elevated in the position shown in full lines in Figure 1 and in Figure 4.

The rivet driver is actuated from a crank pin 20 on the crank disk 21 secured to a shaft 22 which has rotatable thereon a gear 24'. The gear 24 and the shaft 22 may be connected together for simultaneous rotation by a one-revolution clutch which as shown is of the type illustrated in-tlie Havener Patent No. 1,276,652 to which reference may be made for constructional details.

For the purposes of the present application it is sufilcient to point out that the clutch comprises a lug 25 which rotates with the shaft 22 and which when the clutch is in disconnected position is stopped by a stop bar or tripper slide 26 which is axially slidable. On withdrawal of the slide 26 from stopping position, the clutch is connected so that rotation of the gear 24 actuates the rivet-setting driwing shaft 22. The crank pin 20 is connected through a rod 30 with a pivotal connection 3! between a pair of toggle links 32 and 33. The toggle link 32 has its opposite end pivotally connected as at 34 to the machine frame and the link 33 is connected to the driver slide to which the driver 5 is connected as shown clearly in my Patent No. 1,698,922 to which reference has been made. The gear 24 is rotated by the rotation of a pinion 35 carried by a main drive shaft 36 shown as provided with a belt pulley 31.

As shown in Figure l the lever II which controls the vertical position of the rivet holder jaws is connected at its rear end as by the pivot 40 to a link 4| slotted at 42 at its upper end. Riding in this slot is a pin 43 projecting from a lever 44 fulcrumed at 45 on the machine frame. A spring 46 connecting the pivots 43 and 40 tends to hold the forward end of the lever 44 at the lower end of the slot 42. At its rear end the lever 44 is provided with a latch plate 50 over which may engage a shoulder 5| (see Figure 2) of a latch member 52. The upper end of the latch member 52 is connected as by a spring 53 to a fixed point 54 on the machine frame. This latch member is pivoted at its lower end at 55 to one arm of a bell crank lever 56 fulcrumed at 51 to the machine frame. To the end of the opposite arm of this bell crank lever is pivoted at 58 a dog 59 and this dog is normally held in the angular position shown in Figure 2 by means of a spring 60. In this angular position it is in position to impinge upon an out-turned end portion 6| of the tripper slide 26 and upon rocking of the bell crank lever 56 in clockwise direction it contacts this end portion 6| after an initial lost motion from the position shown in Figure 2 and retracts the tripper slide 26 against the action of the spring 63 to close the clutch. When this has been done, further motion of the bell crank lever in the same direction into the position shown in Figure 7 causes the lower end of the dog 59 to impinge on'the set screw 65, rocking the dog into the position shown in Figure 7 and releasing the clutch bar 26 for movement into clutch-opening position. This bell crank lever 56 may be operated by any suitable control means such as a treadle (not shown), an actuating rod from such a treadle being shown at 61 and having a hooked upper end 68 engaging a perforation 69 in the bell crank lever.-

Assuming the parts to be in the position of Figure 2 wherein the machine is at rest, the first portion of the depressing motion of the treadle pulling downwardly on the latch 52 lowers the rear end of the lever 44 and lifts its forward end, causing the spring 46 to be so tensioned as to lift the left hand end of the lever H against the tension of the spring l6 and causing depression of the forward end of the lever II and the rivet-' holdingjaws toward the work. During this descent the operator, if necessary, manipulates the work so that the rivet carried by the jaws will properly enter the hole in the work. When the jaws have reached their lower limit as shown in the dotted line position of Figure l, and the operator has ascertained that the rivet carried by the jaws has properly entered into the hole in the work, he depresses the treadle further which causes further upward motion of the forward end of the lever 44 and results in the pin 43 riding upwardly within the slot 42. During the taking up of this lost motion of the pin 43 in the slot 42, the dog 59 causes release of the clutch tripper slide 26, from contact with the lug 25. thus coupling the actuating shaft 22 for rotation, the dog 59, thereafter being turned by the screws 65 (Figure '7) and thereby snapping past the end portion 6! of the slide 26 and allowing this slide to snap back into position to stop the rotation of the shaft 22 and open the clutch after a single revolution. This rotation of the shaft 22, however, causes a pin I in the periphery of the crank disk to engage on the inner face of the latch 52 and rock this latch outwardly soas to remove the latch shoulder i from above the read end of the lever 44, allowing the lever to tip clockwise, relieving the tension on the spring 46 and permitting the rivet-holding jaws to be retracted by the action of the spring I6. Thus the first portion of the downward motion of the treadle brings the rivet jaws down toward the work to the position shown in Figure 5 and continued further downward pressure on the treadle brings into operation the power rivet driving means to drive the rivet and to release the jaws for retracting motion. Upon completion of the setting operation the operator releases the treadle, permitting the rod 61 to be lifted as by a spring' (not shown) thus bringing the shoulder 5| of the latch 52 above the latch plate 50 and returning the other elements to position for starting another cycle. It will be noted that the depression of the jaws occurs before the rivet driver descends so that when the jaws are presented to the work, the rivet held thereby is separated from the lower end of the driver (see Figure 5). Provision is made, therefore, to prevent pressure exerted upwardly against the barrel of the rivet by its engagement with the work from forcing the rivet upwardly between the jaws instead of presenting it into the hole in the work. For this purpose the rivet jaws are each provided with a rivetholding groove especially formed to prevent retraction of the rivet therein when the rivet jaws are initially depressed. It will be noted that each' of the jaws is provided with a longitudinal groove 15, these grooves being in opposed relation when the jaws are in cooperative relation to each other. Each of these grooves is provided with a pair of enlarged portions 16 and I1 which are spaced apart lengthwise. The upper of these enlargements '16 extends to the upper end of each of the jaws and presents an opening to initially receive and guide a rivet into position beneath. the driver. The lower enlargement I1 is positioned somewhat above the lower ends of'the jaws. The groove portion between these enlargements at 18 is larger than the groove portion below the enlargement 11 as at 19. The portion 79, when the jaws are in operative relation, is of sufilcient size to receive the barrel of the rivet to be set with the head 8| of the rivet positioned within the enlargement 11. The portion 18 of each groove is of a diameter to receive the driver 5 which is of larger diameter than the barrel of the rivet and is only slightly less in diameter than the head of the rivet. This larger diameter of the driver causes pressure therefrom to be distributed over a large area of the rivet head so that it may not mar the face of the head when driving'it. The upper extremities of the enlargement 11, however, are formed with downwardly facing mating annular shoulders 82 with which the top of the rivet head engages in the position shown in Figures 4 and 5, thus preventing a retractive motion of the rivet when the rivet is presented to the work in the position shown in Figure 5.

Figure 5 shows the relative positions of the work, rivet, rivet-holding jaws and driver when the jaws have been initially lowered to present the barrel of the rivet into the hole in the work. Further downward motion of the treadle then causes the driver to descend to force the rivet through the work and clinch it against the setting point 3 as shown in Figure 6, the jaws yielding from each other to permit the rivet driver to pass as shown in this'figure. As shown in my patent hereinbefore mentioned, the retracting motion of the driver raises it sufi'iciently above the rivet jaws to permit a rivet to be fed into position beneath the driver, the driver then descending to the position of Figure 4 and holding the rivet fed between the jaws in position for a subsequent machine cycle as previously described. From the foregoing description of an embodiment of this invention, it will be evident to those skilled in the art that various changes and modifications might be made without departing from the spirit or scope of this invention as defined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a riveting machine having a work support, a rivet holder movable from and toward work on said support, a driver for driving a rivet held by said holder and projecting therefrom, and power means for actuating said driver, operator actuable means for first depressing said holder away from said driver and toward the work and then actuating said power means to operate said rivet driver, said machine having means for preventing retraction of said rivet relative to said holder when said holder is depressed toward the work, whereby the projecting portion is caused to enter the work in advance of the driving action of said driver.

2. In a riveting machine having a work support, a rivet holder movable from and toward work on said support, a driver for driving a rivet held by said holder and projecting therebelow, power means including a one-revolution clutch for actuating said driver, yielding means for lifting said holder, an operator actuable member, operative connections including a lost motion device from said member for depressing said holder to move a rivet carried thereby into a hole in the work on said support, said holder having means for preventing upward motion of a rivet relative thereto as said holder is depressed, means limiting said depressing motion, and connections actuated by continued movement of said member after said holder has been depressed to -power means including a clutch for actuating said driver to drive a rivet from said holder, connections from said member operated by continued movement of said member after said holder has been depressed for closing said clutch, and means actuated by motion of said power means after the closing of said clutch for actuating said releasable element to permit said spring to elevate said holder.

4. In a riveting machine having a work support, a rivet holder movable from and toward work on sald'support, a spring tending to hold said holder spaced from the work, a driver for driving a rivet held by said holder, and power means for actuating said driver, operator mov able means, operative connections from said movable means to said holder including a spring biased to move said holder toward said work support and placed under increased tension on motion of said movable means in one direction to overcome said first mentioned spring and causing said holder to move toward said work support, and connections from said movable means to said power means efiective on further motion of said movable member in the same direction after said rivet has been presented to the work to cause said power means to operate said rivet driver to set the rivet in the work.

5. In a riveting machine having a work support, a rivet holder movable from and toward work on said support, a spring tending to hold said holder spaced from the work, a driver for' driving a rivet held by said holder, and power means for actuating said driver, operator movable means, a lever, means including a spring connecting said lever to said holder and in one angular position of said lever being tensioned insufiiciently to overcome the tension of said first mentioned spring, a latch element engageable with said lever and connected to said movable means for motion therewith from an inoperative position to swing said lever in a direction to increase the tension of said lever connected spring to overcome said first mentioned spring and move said holder toward the work, and connections from said movable means to said power means effective on further motion of said member after said holder has been moved toward the work to cause said power means to actuate said rivet driver to set the rivet in the work.

6. In a riveting machine having a work support, a rivet holder movable from and toward work on said support, a spring tending to hold said holder spaced from the work, a driver for driving a rivet held by said holder, and power means for actuating said driver, operator movable means, a lever, means including a spring connecting said lever to said holder and in one angular position of said lever being tensioned insufficiently to overcome the tension of said first mentioned spring, a latch element engageable with said lever and connected to said movable means for motion therewith from an imperative position to swing said lever in a direction to increase the tension of said lever connected spring to overcome said first mentioned spring and move said holder toward the work, connections from said movable means to said power means efl'ective on further motion of said member after said holder has been moved toward the work to cause said power means to. actuate said rivet driver to set the rivet in the work, and means actuated from said power-means after said driver has driven the rivet to release said latch element from said lever and allow said first mentioned spring to retract said holder from the work.

'I. In combination, means for grasping a rivet above the lower end of its'barrel, said means being provided with a portion for engagement with the top of'the rivet head, a. work support for holding perforated work, operator controlled means for moving said grasping means toward said work support to an extent sufficient to force the lower end of the barrel of a rivet held by said grasping means through a perforation in work on said work support, rivet driving mechanism, actuating means for said driving mechanism, and operative connections between said operator controlled means and said actuating means causing further motion of said operator controlled means after the rivet barrel has been passed through the work perforation to initiate the operation of said operating means to cause saidkdriving'mechanism to set the rivet in the wor AUSTIN D. RHODES.

GEH'ibiUl-rm ur' UUHKEULLLUN. Patent No. 2,519,7hg. may 18, 394% AUSTIN D. RHODES.

It is hereby certified that the name of theassignee in the above numbered patent was erroneously described and specified as "Judson L. Thompson Manufacturing'Company" whereas said name should have been described and specified as --Judson L. Thomson Manufacturing Compan as shown by t record of assignments in thisoffice; and that' the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in thevPatent Office.

Signed and sealed this 22nd day of June, A. D. 1%.5.

Henry Van Arsdale, PJ;) Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

